


5 times tommy helped jon's fear of flying (and 1 time jon wasn't afraid)

by nervousbakedown



Category: Crooked Media RPF
Genre: Developing Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-19
Updated: 2019-09-19
Packaged: 2020-10-21 12:16:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20693375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nervousbakedown/pseuds/nervousbakedown
Summary: it was a whole new feeling, having tommy there at his side on a plane.





	5 times tommy helped jon's fear of flying (and 1 time jon wasn't afraid)

**Author's Note:**

> just something short and sweet i finally finished.

**i. 2006**

jon didn't understand how the plane could safely take off when it was raining as hard as it was. he never understood flying in even slightly bad weather. then again, he never understood flying. 

jon bounced his knee up and down once he got to his seat beside tommy, right in the middle. jon was assigned the window, but tommy took it. jon had a feeling he did it on purpose, knowing jon wouldn’t want it.

they were still waiting on the last groups of people to board when tommy set a gentle hand on jon’s trembling knee. 

“hey,” tommy said.

jon stopped bouncing his knee, foot flat on the floor. “hmm?” 

“it’s gonna be okay, man,” tommy said. he smiled at jon closed-mouthed —more of the smile was in his eyes than anything else —and promptly removed his hand, setting it on the armrest.

in the time they've been friends, a little over a year at this point, tommy recognized jon's fears and had been able to sooth them without complaint. in fact, tommy was always happy to help jon; he never made fun of him or thought his fear was stupid. jon had never had a friend who took it as serious as tommy did. it was a whole new feeling, having tommy there at his side on a plane.

taking a deep breath, jon nodded. “okay.”

**ii. 2008**

“...no, it’s fine weather wise. i’m just not in the mood…i know, i’m never in the mood,” jon held his cell phone to his ear, speaking softly. he was in the airport with a few other staffers, waiting for their flight to begin boarding. he didn’t want them to hear what he was telling tommy. for years, he always tried his best to keep his plane-induced anxiety hush-hush around co-workers. jon thought it was embarrassing.

tommy was hundreds of miles away in iowa, waiting for jon in his apartment. he didn’t like to hear jon so anxious. hell, tommy could practically feel jon’s nervous energy. jon’s hand was probably trembling ever so slightly as he held his cell phone.

“hey, jon,” tommy brought out his most direct yet calm tone. “listen. you’re gonna be okay. put on your headphones, close your eyes, and then the next thing you’ll see will be me when i pick you up.”

jon pursed his lips. he could do that. when tommy said it like that, it was easier not to think all the horrible doom scenarios bouncing around in his head. gradually, his thoughts became a loop of the following: music. sitting in tommy’s truck. tommy. 

“okay. okay.”

tommy sighed. “alright. see you in a bit, jon.”

“okay. bye, tom.”

“bye.”

**iii. 2010**

“god, you’re really shaking,” tommy made a_tsk_ sound and looked around the plane before shaking his head - not at jon, but upset on jon’s behalf, as though he was mad at the plane and everyone on it for contributing to jon’s anxiety. he grabbed jon’s hand, rubbing his thumb over his fingers. 

jon was startled at the contact. he couldn't recall tommy ever doing that before. he averted his eyes. “i’m sorry.”

“nothing to be sorry for,” tommy squeezed jon’s hand gently. “i bet this pilot barely passed flight school.”

another knock of turbulence hit, supposedly minor, but it didn't feel like it. jon met tommy’s eyes and tommy pursed his lips, tried to think of some way to distract or soothe him.

“just... look at me,” tommy encouraged jon.

jon, who was already looking at tommy, sighed deeply, an attempt to calm down. “okay.”

“hey, remember that time we put plastic wrap across dan’s doorway?” tommy smirked. 

jon’s face immediately crinkled up into a laugh. “that was funny. when he tripped-”

“hilarious,” tommy said, squeezing jon’s hand again. 

jon smiled. throughout the rest of the flight, tommy kept jon’s anxiety at bay with a steady hand and more good memories. 

**iv. 2013**

it was a bright and sunny morning in washington, d.c. - a perfect morning to fly, according to the voice on the loudspeaker. jon didn’t feel as bad as he had in the past about their upcoming westward flight, but he still didn’t feel _good_, even despite the sun. the trip to los angeles would be long, as always, and jon was bound to get feelings of claustrophobia after a couple hours.

tommy was in the aisle seat, beside jon in the middle. tommy looked out the window at the cloudless sky as the plane taxied out. his gaze shifted to the profile of jon’s face, his slightly parted lips. 

“you alright?” tommy asked.

jon nodded. “yeah, i guess. i don’t know.”

“well. i brought something for you.”

tommy reached into the pocket of his jeans and got out a pair of earbuds. he plugged them into his phone, already in his other hand, and untangled the cords. he offered jon an earbud before taking it back and switching them. wrong ear. 

“i’ve got some new music. i know you like that ‘royals’ song,” tommy said.

jon chuckled, head tilting back into the seat. he put the left earbud in his ear as tommy put in the right. 

he ended up being lulled to sleep by the low music, head listing onto tommy’s solid shoulder for the duration of their flight. 

**v. 2017**

the bad thing about having a new start up and going on tour with your employees was you have to book all economy seats, thus risking being away from your friend who gets nervous on airplanes. and of course, the wifi _would_ be shit when jon was having a panic attack and tommy wasn't next to him. tommy tried to imessage jon but nothing went through. tommy was a row behind jon and on the other side, in the middle. jon thankfully was on the end seat of his row.

tommy saw the back of jon’s head, the side of his face. jon turned and looked back at tommy a few times. tommy, from his middle seat, mouthed, “i’m sorry,” before he got an idea.

he softly said “hi” to the woman next to him, in the aisle seat, and explained his situation. 

“ma’am, i’m sorry to bother you, but would you mind switching seats with me?” tommy asked. he gestured to jon. “my friend up there is having a rough time right now and i just want to check on him.”

the woman, of retirement age but not elderly, shook her head. “i don’t think so.”

tommy let out an exasperated sigh. “um. please? i’ll- i’ll pay you.” 

he reached into his back pocket for a spare bill or two, leaning over into the space of the guy with the window seat, who glared at him. tommy mumbled “sorry” under his breath.

tommy held the fifty dollar bribe out for the woman. she eyed it for a second before taking it. 

“you better not get me in trouble, kid,” she said. 

the woman unbuckled her seatbelt and moved to stand. tommy put his hands together as if in prayer. “thank you, thank you so much.”

after the woman begrudgingly got out of her seat and into tommy’s, tommy sat down and seemed much closer to jon already. he leaned forward and whisper-yelled jon’s name. jon turned around, eyes wide in the dim light of the cabin. 

“hey,” tommy said. “how you doing?”

“not good,” jon frowned. 

“you know the drill, hey,” tommy said in his calmest voice. “look at me. everything’s gonna be okay.”

“okay,” jon nodded to himself. 

tommy reached his arm out to jon, even though they weren't close enough to touch. “they said the weather is good tonight. i promise. i’m not gonna let anything happen to you.” 

at that moment, a flight attendant came over and stopped just before tommy’s seat. 

“sir, i’m afraid i have to ask you to keep your voice down." 

“sorry, i - my bad, i didn’t realize i was being loud,” tommy apologized. 

“this is a night time flight so we like to keep the noise level down,” she explained. 

tommy found the flight attendant’s tone patronizing. “sorry."

“we’d also ask you keep out of the aisle for safety reasons,” she went on.

irritated, tommy pinched the bridge of his nose before explaining his situation, gesturing with his hands as he talked. “look, i’m sorry, it’s just my husband is right up there, we couldn’t get our seats together and he’s panicking right now, so i’m sorry if i’m a little–” 

the flight attendant didn't seem all that fazed. “i’m sorry, sir.”

when she walked away, tommy leaned back in his seat and looked at jon. jon managed an apologetic smile. tommy knew that smile. it's the one jon always used to say, _it’s okay_. 

later, finally touched down in new york, jon waited for tommy so they could get off the plane together. jon seemed to have powered through his anxiety on his own. he looked exhausted. 

“thank you for trying,” jon said once they’re inside, exiting the gate.

“of course,” tommy knocked their shoulders together. 

“also...” jon paused, turned his head to look at tommy while they walk. 

“what?”

“‘husband?’” jon said.

“oh,” tommy nodded, cheeks flushing pink. “i thought that would garner some sympathy. it didn’t work well.”

jon smiled, his shoulders relaxing as they picked up their pace to catch up with everyone else. 

**+1  
2019**

“just so you know, i made sure we got these seats next to each other,” tommy murmurs in the quiet cabin.

jon, sitting in the window seat, looks up at tommy. he grins from ear to ear. 

“really? how?”

tommy shrugs. “i know a guy," he chuckles. "nah, i just sent the sales team a strongly worded email.”

jon leans his head back in his seat and reaches out for tommy’s hand - he doesn’t take it, just barely rubs the back of tommy’s hand with his fingertip. “tommy.”

tommy grins. jon, overcome with fondness, sits up again and leans forward so he can kiss tommy firmly on the cheek. 

tommy threads their fingers together. not once is jon afraid during their flight through the night.


End file.
